Think about it!
These paddle tennis courts
Incorporate
The scope of modern history.
Here, the penniless
Contest with multimillionaires
And, often, win.
Here the obscene shouts
Reflect immense geography:
French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Mandarin, German, Thai,
Korean, Yiddish, even Romanian—
And, of course, English
From time to time.
Here, octogenarians,
Unwilling to recognize
The toll of years,
Insist on their pathetic
Limping lunges,
As if the end of play
Were equal to
The end of life.
Here, the shtarkes
(“Strong ones,”
For those without the language)
Reveal their mythic speed,
Skill, power, guile
In every weekend tournament.
Here, passionate disputes,
(Enflaming armies
Across the whole disheveled Earth),
Erupt—the trigger?
Bad line calls.
And here, sets end
With that affectionate
Slap of hands
Signifying
“Good set!
Thanks for the game.”
(11/23/11)